


Etched

by DarkVoid116



Category: Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:35:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29757654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkVoid116/pseuds/DarkVoid116
Summary: Nobody knew how it worked. All Veronica had ever been told was you woke up on your special day, the magic gave you a sign, and your life was changed forever.
Relationships: Logan Echolls/Veronica Mars
Comments: 11
Kudos: 52
Collections: VMFF Galentine's Day Gift Exchange





	Etched

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cattyk8](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cattyk8/gifts).



> Hi there! Back with a new story. Happy (very belated) Galentines Day, cattyk8. 
> 
> I took inspiration from different iterations of this trope I've read in other fandoms, then wanted to put my own unique spin on it.
> 
> Many, many thanks to ayyohh & CubbieGirl1723 for their help on this fic. You're both awesome beta-readers and, more importantly, friends, and this fic would never have been possible without you both.

The words etched into her skin stared back at her, taunting her as Veronica looked at her reflection in the mirror. Seventeen didn’t seem much different than sixteen to her, except for the three short words that appeared, changing her life forever.

It was unbelievable.

Quite literally, Veronica Mars had trouble absorbing the reality of her current situation. 

As a young girl, her mother had told her countless fantastical tales about people learning the first words their soulmate would say to them. To gain that knowledge, ingrained in their mind forever, sounded magical. 

Despite Veronica’s constant prodding, Lianne had never divulged what her words were. Veronica had to believe that, despite the divorce and her mom choosing to leave, they’d  _ been _ magical. 

Her dad was quietly one of the most romantic men she’d ever met, a fact Veronica found more endearing once it’d become just the two of them in the last year. Of course, as the chief of the Neptune Police Department, he’d needed a mean streak to keep the socialites in check. But around Veronica and her mother, his soft side shone.

That idea, that the joining of soulmates should be romantic, is what made her current reality even more bizarre.

She glanced down at her arm again.

‘ _ Cute soccer uniform _ .’

_ Those _ were the first words her soulmate would say to her - except, she’d already heard them. She knew exactly when, too, the precise moment they had been said. Veronica could vividly picture it, standing on the edge of the wet soccer field, her pigtails done up the way she’d always loved as a kid. 

Logan  _ Echolls _ had said that to her. 

Yeah, Duncan Kane had been standing next to him - the boy she’d always, even recently, imagined herself with long-term. But Logan had flirted with her that afternoon, complete with his awkward mannerisms and boyish charm. In the months that followed, they’d straddled the line between friends and pre-teen crushes, but once Logan shacked up with Lilly, Veronica had expunged the idea of him as her soulmate in her mind.

Now, that same Logan Echolls was the bane of her existence, her perpetual tormentor, and the current source of vile rumors about her. Rumors so horrible she couldn’t even bring herself to talk to her father about them.

If he heard, her dad would dream up extravagant ways to kill Logan, and now that she’d turned seventeen and finally read her Soulmate Sentence, Veronica knew it was even more important than before she keep that from happening.

Veronica stretched her arms above her head and blinked, craning her neck to stare up at her ceiling. Magic was an incredible thing.

Nobody knew where soulmate marks originated from. They’d just... show up, on your seventeenth birthday. 

What was so special about seventeen? Books, or at least the ones Veronica had dug up as a kid, held no knowledge of the importance of that age. Neither her mom nor dad knew..

Veronica ambled over to her dresser, throwing on her favorite red pair of fluffy pajamas, then slowly walked toward their kitchen, where she could already hear her father’s voice.

“Good morning, honey,” Keith greeted her, looking up from his coffee, finger paused over the corner of the newspaper page he was on. “Happy birthday.”

Veronica smiled. He’d stayed up with her until midnight even though they both knew marks didn’t show until you woke up on your big day. “Hey, Dad.” 

She knew what he wanted to know. Was it Duncan? Did she know who it was, if it wasn’t Duncan? Deciding to be a good daughter, she put him out of his misery. “Not Duncan,” she said, watching as he appeared both immensely relieved and sympathetic toward her simultaneously. It was truly amazing how perfect he could be at toeing the company line when it came to her romantic life. 

“Do you know who it is?” he asked, pushing his chair out so he could stand up and walk around to her side. He hugged her then, pouring his fatherly love into the action.

Veronica hesitated. “No,” she lied. Even if Keith didn’t know the extent to which Logan had tortured her, he definitely was aware things had been tough for her the second half of the school year. Especially after her makeover. And her dad had an inkling that Logan was responsible for some of her changes, especially once he’d stopped coming over to watch TV and movies. He definitely wasn’t ready to hear this. “Whoever my soulmate is will come as a shock, I guess.” Settling on a half-truth - because the idea of spending a fucking eternity with  _ Logan Echolls _ , Resident Psychotic Jackass,  _ was _ a major life-changer - made it easier.

“I think that’s natural,” Keith offered, shrugging. “I didn’t meet your mother until years after my mark appeared.” He glanced at her arm, then shrugged and looked away, confirming what she already knew: only she could read it.

Veronica smiled at him, nodding. He knew exactly the right thing to say, even if, in this particular instance, he didn’t have all the pertinent information. 

How was she going to face Logan now? He was  _ Lilly’s _ , through and through. Lilly’s murder tore them apart, pitted him against her, ruined her high school experience, save Meg and Mac, and traumatized them all... yet, now, Veronica was fated to end up with him? How would that work? 

Could it work? 

Logan could be kind, sure. She’d seen that first-hand countless times. He was a fighter, smart and cocky. Maybe his best trait was how loyal he was to those he loved. Yet, Logan was also hard-headed, and she would bet the farm that he would fight this tooth and nail. She was prepared to be right there with him on the frontlines.

She’d never heard of a do-over when it came to your soulmark, but Veronica couldn’t help but feel that Cupid got this one terribly wrong.

...

Despite the ever-constant reminder of Logan etched into her arm, Veronica tried her best to keep him off her mind when school resumed a few weeks later. She found it easy to distance herself from Duncan now that she had irrefutable proof he wasn’t her soulmate. 

In a convoluted way, being among the first people in her grade to get their soulmark was exhilarating. It was like a dirty secret she had but, by definition, nobody else would ever know. Thankfully, she was enough of an outcast now that few people knew her birthday had come and gone. She assumed Logan would spread some rumor about her soulmate in no time, though.

God, this was a disaster.

She was only fortunate nobody could read her mark, most of all Logan.

That magical aspect was one she didn’t quite understand, but spent a lot of time considering. How was it possible for only her to be able to read the text on her forearm that, to her, appeared to be clearly legible? But Veronica knew it to be true, even before Keith couldn’t read her mark on her birthday. She could see her father’s mark whenever his shirt rode up the length of his arm, but it looked like a scribble to her eyes.

Ultimately, the particulars did not matter. When Veronica stared down at her skin now, the all-black lettering constantly reminded her Logan was her soulmate. That he’d found her  _ cute _ , back then. 

Veronica parked her LeBaron and got out of the car, noticing a commotion in the courtyard. As she got closer, she spied Logan off to the side, snickering with Dick Casablancas as they watched the events unfolding in front of them. She sighed, disgusted that someone who would laugh at the new kid being duct taped to the school pole would be the guy she could end up with. 

Yeah, ignoring the fates had crossed her mind. It wouldn’t be terribly difficult to luck into saying something generic to a guy one day and faking it. Since nobody could read each other’s soulmark, you never  _ really _ knew, right? She’d even entertained the idea that someone other than Logan would eventually say those three shiny words to her. The realistic part of her brain recognized it was a pipe dream, though. 

She was probably stuck with one of the biggest assholes she’d ever met, unless she tried to skirt that destiny. 

As Veronica helped the new kid - Wallace, he greeted her, as he thanked her profusely - down from the flagpole, flashes of her friendship with Logan flitted through her mind. 

The good moments... there were plenty, and they brought a heartwarming smile to her face, even as the bad times overrode that joy. Everything about Logan Echolls was mired in the mess of the Kane family in her brain, a jumbled puzzle of emotion and fear. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Veronica noticed Logan staring at her and met his gaze with an even coolness she didn’t actually feel. That apprehension heightened when Logan’s eyes flicked down her body, stopping at her arm. Could Logan know what her mark said? That shouldn’t be possible, but as he raised an eyebrow, his facial expressions seemed to say, “I know your secret.” Veronica internally screamed in frustration, even as Wallace tried to get her attention, finally tapping her shoulder to knock her out of her reverie.

“What?” she asked absently. “What did you say?”

“I asked you where Mr. Rooks’ history class was. I have him first thing,” Wallace said, gesturing at the school in confusion. “I’m new here, and I have no idea where anything is.”

Veronica smiled. New kids at Neptune High always approached the school with enthusiasm until the joyless wormhole that was this town finished sucking them in. Wallace would lose that happiness soon. 

They all did.

But, she helped him anyway.

Maybe the new school year could be a fresh start.

Veronica eyed Logan. He was still fervently looking at nothing but her, his interest clearly piqued. She had a decision to make now. 

Was it better to wipe the slate clean, to actively begin to mend fences with him in anticipation of his birthday, in March? That could take on many forms, particularly if he was still on his jackass kick.

Alternatively, she could try to ignore him and pretend nothing had changed. That option was appealing to Veronica, especially if she wanted her junior year to be better than her last one. 

There was also the possibility of blending the two together. Logan could be put on probation in her mind as Veronica evaluated their current dynamic. This would allow her to date other people and see if life with Logan Echolls was something she had any desire to commit to. 

At least there was no doubt Logan would be similarly shell-shocked when his birthday came and “ _ How do you know Lilly’s brother?”  _ showed up on his arm. 

Veronica had no earthly idea how the school year would unfold, but she had about six months to figure out what to do, and nothing was simple.

...

Wallace was a pretty good guy, Veronica decided. She’d heard his story, listened to the way Eli Navarro fucked with him. The poor kid...

Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Veronica wanted to help him, but she hadn’t expected the day to take a turn in this way, with her now owing Weevil, of all people.

What  _ had _ she intended, planting that bong in Logan’s locker? A small part of her wanted to get back at him for everything, but this seemed like the exact wrong way to go about it.

Nothing would matter if Logan intended to torment her forever like this. 

Was she destined to end up alone? Duncan and Logan were the only two guys she’d ever had real feelings for, and both ghosted her without a backward glance.

In the corner of her mind singularly dedicated to self-loathing, Veronica was afraid she was simply unlovable. That Lilly’s murder permanently shelved any part of her that could be loved. 

When Logan had bashed her headlights in, a metaphorical dagger to accompany her thoughts, Veronica winced. This was the wrong way to begin the pivotal school year that could potentially influence the rest of her life.

Weevil then showed up and put a stop to any escalation. 

It was a welcome distraction from her brain, and led to her sitting in the sand with her new friend, Wallace.

“I noticed that,” he said, nodding to her arm. “You already turned seventeen?” Wallace asked, clearly surprised. “I don’t turn seventeen until around Christmas.”

“Yeah,” Veronica said. There was something very endearing about Wallace, a brotherlike quality she found was all too rare in the men in her life. She could immediately tell he had more than one thing on his mind, unlike many of the guys in her school. It caused her to open up in a way she hadn’t expected to. “I know who it is, but it’s complicated. I don’t know what to do.”

Wallace sighed, flopping back onto the sand. “Guessing it’s the Echolls kid, then.”

Veronica parted her lips ever so slightly, stunned he’d solved her in one shot. “Why would you guess that?”

“The guy took a damned crowbar to your headlights, and the entire time, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of you. Yeah, he’s being a jackass, but you  _ did _ plant a bong in his locker, and his dad’s a famous movie star. He’s probably in a lot of trouble for that one,” Wallace said, and her opinion of him rose several notches. He was significantly more perceptive than she’d given him credit for.

Nodding, Veronica said, “Yeah. It’s Logan.”

“I don’t even know you, but I can tell he’s not ready for that right now,” Wallace offered. “Not that I think you are, either. If you told him you two are destined to be together right now, he’d run for the hills and you would never have a chance. I know his type. I’m a guy, after all.”

Veronica laughed. “Why are we having this conversation?”

Wallace shrugged. “You saved my ass from that gang, so I owe you one. Who else knows Captain Jackass is your soulmate?” he asked, angling his head in the direction Logan had gone. 

“You’re the first person I’ve told,” she revealed, then had to do an internal double take. How messed up was her ability to trust that she’d confided in the new kid before her dad, Meg, or Mac? 

There was something about Wallace that oozed dependability, a quality she found endearing in a friend. He was personable, yet unassuming. 

“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” she said, grinning. “Let’s head back,” she said with a smile, offering Wallace a hand to pull him off the sand.

He was goofy, and exactly the type of friend she needed to distract herself from Logan Echolls. Because, seriously, what the hell was she going to do about that?

...

After thinking over Wallace’s advice, Veronica decided to ignore Logan as much as possible.

Which was easier said than done when the guy popped up absolutely everywhere she looked! Weevil’s cousin steals some guy’s girlfriend? Of course it’s Caitlin Ford! When Duncan did his nosedive off the stands, there was Logan, grinning at her, trying to laugh off Duncan’s injury in his drunken haze.

It pissed Veronica off. His best friend - her ex-boyfriend! - was probably seriously hurt, and he found it hilarious and didn’t even attempt to help.

She tried to keep up appearances, going through the motions of being civil toDuncan even when she knew her relationship with Logan might be inevitable.

Duncan asked about her soulmark several times during those first few weeks of school, the only time he ever showed emotion around her. His obsession was weird given  _ he’d _ broke up with her, not the other way around, but Veronica did her best to knock him off the trail, telling him only that it wasn’t him.

Ugh, who knew learning who your soulmate was would be this freaking complicated?

_ Speaking of complicated _ , she mused, watching as Troy Vandergraff walked her way, a wide smile on his face. He seemed nice enough, though her bullshit meter flew off the handle in random spurts when he was around.

Veronica still wasn’t sure whether she could envision a life together with Logan Echolls, but the further she got from sophomore year, and the more human Logan acted, the more the idea didn’t horrify her. That didn’t mean Veronica wanted to let a mark on her arm dictate who she could be with.

It was for that reason that she didn’t end things with Troy before they got off the ground. “Hey,” she said, smiling up at him.

“Hey, Veronica,” Troy said, going for charming. He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

_ Probably thought he was being smooth _ ... But Veronica recognized Troy for what he was. A safe bet. There was enough off about him that she wouldn’t get attached, but Veronica wanted - no,  _ needed  _ \- to expel Logan Echolls from her mind. “Sorry we got interrupted by Duncan the other day,” she said, and allowed herself to listen to his latest story.

And it had nothing to do with the fact that she’d spotted Logan staring in their direction.

...

After her last class of the morning, Veronica rushed out the door and nearly ran right into someone rounding the corner of the hallway.

“Hey, Ronnie,” Logan greeted her after class, his smirk already firmly in place. “Watch where you’re going.”

Veronica faltered for a second. Why was he  _ everywhere? _ Last year, he’d done his absolute best to never say a word to her, and now he was constantly in her personal space. “Go away, Logan,” she said, putting as much strength behind the words.

“Trouble in paradise?” Logan asked, nodding at Troy glaring their way.

Veronica turned to give Troy a soft smile, then faced Logan, rolling her eyes. “Not that it’s any of your business, Echolls, but no. Everything’s fine”

Logan seemed surprised, then recovered. “Tell me, did you put out already?”

“This was a mistake, obviously. Keep it up, Logan. God, what’s wrong with me today that I engaged in this?” Veronica asked, then turned to walk away, huffing in frustration. 

Entering the lunch room, she spotted Wallace at their usual table and hurried over, happy to see a familiar face. Mac wasn’t joining them until later, so it was just her and her new buddy.

The best thing to come out of the new school year was easily her friendship with him. Wallace proved her instincts to be correct; he was reliable, friendly, outgoing, and always down for whatever mischief she wanted to get into. More importantly, Wallace kept her confidence about Logan and would nudge her if he found her staring at the 09er table too long.

Thankfully, that was also where Duncan and oftentimes Troy sat, so anyone paying attention would write it off as her staring after her ex-boyfriend and rumored current interest. Veronica decided to let them think whatever they wanted.

“Hey, Supafly,” he greeted, patting the bench next to him.

  
She plopped into the seat, and dug out her lunch. “Hey, Wallace. How’s it going?”

“It’s good. What’s new in the world of Veronica Mars today?” he asked, propping his elbows on the edge and holding his chin in his hands, the picture of a captivated new best friend.

“The usual. Ran into Logan, exchanged words, decided to date Troy. Haven’t seen Duncan yet, so that’s good, I guess,” Veronica said. 

“Any new cases?” Wallace asked. 

And that’s why he was awesome. He got the gist of her day and understood she didn’t really want to talk about the boy drama. “Not yet. Homecoming is soon, though. Are you taking Georgia? Now that I decided I want to go out with Troy while I’m sorting through how I feel about this soulmate business, I’ll go with you two, I guess.”

“I was gonna tell you that you should just come with us anyway,” Wallace said. “Think about it; how were you going to explain to your dad that you’re skipping the dance because of a soulmate you’ve ‘never met’?” Wallace asked, complete with hand gestures. “That sounds ridiculous, even for you, Vee.”

“Gee, thanks, friend,” Veronica deadpanned. “Maybe you’re right. Doesn’t matter now,” she said, shrugging.

“It’s cute that you think someone will want to go to the dance with the town skank,  _ Ronnie _ ,” she heard a voice sneer from behind her.

The high-pitched voice sent a shiver up her spine. “Hello to you, too, Madison,” Veronica said, trying and failing to be diplomatic. She might hate most 09ers, and especially ones that she remembered seeing at Shelly’s party, but this was different. She and Madison had always been worst enemies, vying for Lilly’s attention. “Why are you here?” she asked, her momentary trip down Memory Lane killing her good vibes.

“It’s a courtyard. God, Veronica. I’m walking to my table. Why are  _ you _ here?” Madison asked. She flipped her ponytail over her right shoulder haughtily.

Just that one action made Veronica loosely consider screaming to the heavens that  _ Logan _ was hers, just to see the reaction - she’d always suspected that, secretly, Madison wanted Logan to be her soulmate... Madison would have heart palpitations if she heard that he was taken. 

“I  _ was _ enjoying my food, but you spoiled that,” Veronica groused.

“Don’t let me ruin whatever skanky thing you’re getting up to,  _ Veronica _ ,” Madison sing-songed, then swiveled her hips and walked to her usual table, as Logan and Dick stared in their direction.

When Veronica glanced back at Wallace, she noticed he was still watching Madison’s back - probably her ass.  _ Ugh. Men! _ “Hello!” she said, waving a hand in front of his face.

“What? Oh. Sorry,” Wallace offered sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “She’s hot,” he said rhetorically, shrugging his shoulders. 

“I hope she’s not your soulmate, buddy. That would be miserable. Imagine living with her for the rest of your life?” Veronica asked. She certainly couldn’t, and Wallace deserved better than to be dragged down by a woman hell-bent on ruining anything good that she touched.

Look at Dick. Veronica wasn’t the guy’s biggest fan to begin with, but Dick had become increasingly more of a, well, dick since he began dating Madison.

“She won’t be,” Wallace said, smiling. “I memorized the first words Georgia said to me, in case those turn out to be my mark,” he said, his eyes falling to her own one.

_ ‘Cute soccer uniform.’  _ Every time Veronica thought about those words, especially when she involuntarily glanced at her forearm during class, she became more anxious.

Veronica shifted her eyes to the 09er table, surprised to, once again, find Logan Echolls staring back at her. That was becoming a habit. 

Intent on making  _ him _ make the first move toward a truce, she turned back to Wallace. “I hope it works out with her too, Wallace.”

Logan would  _ not _ get in her head.

...

Damn it! Logan showing hints of how amazing a friend he’d been before Lilly’s death really threw her for a loop. She’d been off her game, unprepared to come across the version of Logan who she didn’t hate so much.

It didn’t surprise her that Duncan asked Logan for help making that video, and it had turned out great with the two of them working together. 

As Veronica got out of her car in the parking lot of Sunset Cliffs, her mind flashed back to the first turning point.

_ “Why’d you bring that video, Veronica?” Logan asked, tapping the keyboard as he put the finishing touches on their celebratory video.  _

_ Veronica didn’t really have a good answer to that. Things with Logan had been tense since the discussion about Troy, but memories of Lilly always made her nostalgic. “I loved Lilly.”  _

_ “We all did,” Logan said. “It’s why I can’t understand how you could... God, nevermind.” _

_ Could they be civil? “Say what you were going to, Logan.”  _

_ “Duncan’s a zombie. Jake’s heartbroken. I know your dad went after him, but... How could you agree with him?” Logan asked, the first time in her recent memory she could remember him voluntarily bringing up her father’s investigation. _

_ “He’s my dad, Logan. I trust him implicitly; he wouldn’t have gone after Jake without good reason. I have to believe that. Like I said, I loved Lilly, too.” _

_ “I know you did, Veronica,” he said. _

_ It was such a little thing, but Logan using her full name affected her more than it should have. “Thanks for saying that.” _

_ “I, uh... I don’t do apologies well, but I’m...” He trailed off, his eyes flickering toward the door awkwardly as he struggled for words. “I’m sorry I said you didn’t love Lilly. I don’t think I’m ready to forgive you for everything, but... Thanks, Veronica. Thanks for this footage. Lilly would’ve loved it.” _

_ As Logan diverted his eyes back to the computer screen, Veronica glanced down at her arm, reading the words in her mind. Something as simple as a small apology from Logan made her tolerate him for the first time in ages. _

Working together, being friendly while celebrating Lilly’s life - that was the turning point, the first big “Logan” moment for Veronica since she first got her mark.

She wanted a sign that the old Logan Echolls was in there, that his misplaced anger at her hadn’t completely killed the kind, decent teenage kid that she’d known. If she needed to see something to begin to buy into the idea of him as her soulmate, this had been it.

Veronica closed the apartment door gently behind her, hoping her father was asleep so she wouldn’t have to explain why she was so flustered. He was a detective and would immediately be able to tell this wasn’t  _ just _ Lilly’s memorial, though it didn’t help that she really badly missed her best friend right about then.

In the last month and change, she’d found herself investigating Lilly’s murder as a way to distract herself from the reality of her and Logan.  _ What would Lilly think? _ , she often found herself asking.

Would Lilly be supportive of Logan being her soulmate? Did Lilly think about her own soulmate before she died? Some small part of Veronica felt that her best friend had always been aware that Logan wasn’t going to end up as her soulmate, and it had led to the cheating and sleeping around.

Veronica was so lost in her new train of thought, that she didn’t realize her dad was speaking to her until he stepped into her peripheral vision and waved a hand in front of her face. “Oh, hi, Dad,” she mumbled, slinging her bag on the couch. “How are you?”

“Better than you, I think. How was it?” he asked, placing a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

“It was OK, actually,” she said. Memories of Lilly still swirling in her brain, Veronica decided to seize the day and stop putting off the inevitable _._ “Dad, can we talk?”

“Sure, Veronica,” Keith said, gesturing to the couch. 

Veronica plopped next to her bag, Keith occupying the loveseat. “I lied,” Veronica said, holding up a hand to stop him from interrupting. “Let me get this one out first, please. I lied when I said I didn’t recognize the words on my mark,” Veronica confessed, lowering her eyes to the floor so she wouldn’t see the expected disappointment in her father’s eyes.

“Why?” Keith asked, his expression careful not to give anything away.

Such a simple question, but one she hated her answer for. “It’s Logan,” she blurted, wincing when Keith’s eyes widened imperceptibly. “I know you hate him-”

“I don’t,” he interrupted.

“But... Wait, what?” Veronica asked.  _ Shouldn’t _ her dad hate Logan? For what he’d done to their family? Surely, her dad knew that Logan had rallied the troops of Neptune against them when he’d gone after the Kanes?

“He’s hurting, Veronica. Jake is like a second father to him, and I know what it’s like to live with an alcoholic.” Keith paused, coming to sit next to her. “I’m also not saying I’m thrilled that he’s your soulmate, but... I guess I can kind of see it. You two were close friends.”

She let out a humorless laugh. “I can’t see it. Not really. I was shocked, and still am,” she admitted. “But... Today, Logan asked for my help. Well, I guess I offered it. Anyway, I helped him make a video for Lilly, and it was like he was the old Logan, the one who used to be my best guy friend.” Veronica paused and watched her father for further reaction, but there was nothing. “It sucked to not have that this whole last year.” Veronica snuggled her head into the crook of her father’s neck, finally allowing the emotions she’d bottled up the whole school year to flow out.

Why hadn’t she talked to her dad about Logan being her soulmate before?

_ Oh, right... Because he was going to be mad.  _ “You know that Logan’s been a jerk to me, right?”

“Yeah,” Keith confirmed. “I don’t know how bad it got, and I don’t think I want to. I’m not happy he abandoned you, but he’s a kid, one I saw kindness from, especially toward you and Lilly, up until his girlfriend was murdered. If you’re entertaining actually being with him, I’ll trust your judgment unless he hurts you, honey.” 

Her father’s faith in her did the trick. “I don’t know what to do. Why are soulmates a thing, Dad?”

“Most people aren’t actually guaranteed to meet their soulmate if they even have one, Veronica. You know that, right? The way this works... it’s far from a sure thing.”

Veronica hesitated, for just a beat. “That’s... really sad to think about. Whoever Lilly’s soulmate was will never meet her. If your partner dies or decides to ignore their mark, you could end up alone or with someone you don’t love.”

Could that happen to her? What if Logan didn’t have feelings for her? What if she decided to go for it with him, and couldn’t bring herself to actually love him? Was she going to end up in some loveless partnership, maybe even marriage? 

“I don’t know if your mother was actually my soulmate, Veronica,” Keith said suddenly, surprising her.

“What do you mean?” Veronica asked.

Her parents had a good marriage until the murder case. She would have seen signs if everything wasn’t peaches and roses, right? Veronica considered herself a good reader of people, a strong judge of character, and an excellent detective. Something as big as her parents not being each others’ soulmates would have been obvious, right?

“My soulmark isn’t specific, and, looking back, I was visibly surprised when she said the words. I must have been excited. She would’ve had ample opportunity to recognize my reaction for what it was and fake a similar reaction. Lianne... I love her, but it’s impossible to actually know what her soulmark says, obviously,” Keith continued, reaching across Veronica’s back to hug her tighter.

“But she might be?” Veronica asked. Even though she was annoyed at her mom for leaving, the innocent part of her, the one that loved her mom dearly, hoped her parents were soulmates.

Keith nodded. “I’ll never know. She had a serious relationship before me, and I know it ended badly. That’s the thing about soulmates - we just don’t know. I’ve seen people be happy with their soulmate. But the hidden nature of our marks - it’s seemingly designed so that someone who never hears those magic words can still find happiness. It’s not foolproof.” Her father paused, drawing his breath steady. “If Logan will make you happy, then we’ll see how things go when he gets his mark. Do you remember the first thing you said to him?”

“I do,” Veronica confirmed, nodding. She cracked a smile. “He flirted with me, and I asked how he knew Lilly’s brother. That’s specific enough that I bet the jerk’s going to know it’s me immediately and he’s going to give me hell for not telling him.”

“Are you and Logan in a place where he’d expect you to tell him?” Keith asked, ever the logical one in their family.

“Maybe not, but this feels big. It  _ is _ , right?” It seemed huge. Veronica wanted to feel more certainty over her life, especially the post-Lilly version of it, but Logan’s actions recently thawed the ice surrounding her memories of him. For the first time in about a year, she could envision a future where the two of them were on good terms.

“It is indeed, Veronica. Have you told anyone else about Logan being your soulmate?” Keith questioned.

She smiled, thinking of her goofy new friend’s help in school over the last month. “Wallace knows. I told him practically right when we met, after I helped him out of a jam.”

Keith shook his head. “Only you, honey. Is Duncan handling the news that you’re not his soulmate well?” 

Snorting, Veronica laughed. “Not in the slightest. I think he was hoping we’d be soulmates to prove something to himself. It’s weird, since he broke up with  _ me _ .” The mystery surrounding Duncan dropping her as his girlfriend confounded her, but she now had little reason to look back.

It was normal for people to date both before and after they got their mark, even if they knew they weren’t one another’s soulmates, but she simply didn’t want to be around Duncan now with the way he acted. 

“He’ll get over it,” Keith said. Then he shrugged. “If he doesn’t, it won’t matter in the end.”

Veronica sighed. “I miss daddy-daughter bonding time. We should do this more often.”

“That we should, Veronica.”

As they sat there, in an embrace filled with emotion and tenderness, Veronica forgot about Lilly for a bit, and focused just on her family. 

Hopefully, if Logan truly was her soulmate, shit would turn out better for them than it was for her own parents.

...

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much, again, to ayyohh & CubbieGirl1723 for their help!


End file.
